Relatives of people who died from Covid-19 in the United Kingdom today called for the annulment of all benefits granted to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, after a public investigation found his management of the pandemic “chaotic”.
In a statement, the group “Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK” directly attacked the former Conservative prime minister, describing his actions during the pandemic as “one of the most serious betrayals of the British people in modern history”. The former leader “must be held accountable”, the statement continued, adding that the former politician should no longer have “any role in public life”.
The families are demanding the withdrawal of “all financial and institutional privileges” linked to their former position, including prime ministerial remuneration and a place on the prestigious Privy Council, a group of advisors to the monarch made up mostly of former ministers.
“It is intolerable that grieving families are expected to subsidize the lifestyle of the man whose decisions led to the deaths of our loved ones,” they argue. The British Government grants a lifetime pension of up to 115,000 pounds per year (130,000 euros) to its former prime ministers, among other benefits.
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In its conclusions, released on Thursday, the investigation stated that some of the 226,000 deaths linked to the pandemic, one of the highest death tolls in Europe, could have been avoided if the British Government had “taken the threat posed by the virus seriously”.
The investigation clearly pointed the finger at Boris Johnson’s Administration, accusing him of being too “optimistic” at the start of 2020. It added that his own behavior “undermined the serious message he should have been sending to the public”.
The families also indicated that they are exploring “all legal means to hold Boris Johnson personally responsible for his actions during the pandemic”. “Justice for those we lost means real consequences for those who failed them, and we will not stop until that justice is served,” the group said.